René-ssance
by orangeyhairedimmortal
Summary: Tamaki is thrown for a loop when it is revealed to him that there was another son born to his father right before his divorce went through and he is no longer the heir. Without a penny to his name, Tamaki desperately tries to find work and a turn of events lands him as a personal servant to an unexpected comrade who will help this razed phoenix rise again against all odds.
1. Out Damn Spot

**for the record, hafu is a real term in japan and people who are not full blooded japanese still get criticized badly. and i'm portraying his grandmother in a kind of harsh light but that's only for the story. also, i have tamaki not as cowtail with his grandmother and this is a little more of a serious note so tamaki isn't his usual bonkers self. it was shown in the manga that he could be a serious person, so it's not necessarily ooc.**

* * *

Tamaki stared at his grandmother in confusion as she stared at him with disgust down her upturned nose.

"What did you say?" he asked in shock.

"I said that you are no longer the heir to the Suoh family."

"How is that possible?" he asked, still in confusion.

"It's quite simple really: there was someone born before you and they are _legitimate_."

"How is that possible?"

Shizue made a face at him. "Although you act like a stupid child, I'm sure you can figure out the logistics."

"In all honesty, I really can't. I don't really understand what's happening right now."

Shizue sighed angrily. "I'll put it in terms your mind can understand: before your father met your mother, he was married to a woman that I picked out for him. Apparently, before he divorced her, he consummated the marriage as is per usual, and a child was conceived from it without their knowledge. She had married another man right after she divorced your father and so she thought that the child was his. The child had to have a kidney transplant and when they checked the parents for compatibility, they found out that the father was no compatible. They decided to do a paternity test. When they did the testing, they found out that that he was not his child. The only man other than she had been with was my son and so they did a paternity test, which came back positive."

Tamaki just couldn't believe what was happening. It made sense, sure, but the scary part was what it had to do with him.

"I see…"

"With that being the case, you are no longer needed for my legacy. He is the true heir by default. That being said, I want you out of my house and out of Japan. Go back to France."

"Right, of course. I will make sure to be gone by the end of the week."

"Good."

"Sunday, I will-"

"You have until Friday."

Tamaki's blue eyes widened. " _Friday_?! That's tomorrow!"

"Then I suggest you start packing. You'll have enough money to get on the first flight out of Japan to France."

"That's not fair!" Tamaki yelled, usually not one to whine about serious matters such as this, but he felt it was owed to him. "I am grateful to you, Grandmother, for everything you've done for me here in Japan but it's not fair that you took me from my home and placed me here, making me leave everything behind without so much as a goodbye. I've made so many friends here due to your decision and I would like it if I could at least say goodbye to them. I promise whatever money you give me will only go towards leaving Japan but… you already took me from one home…"

Shizue scoffed. "Fine. You have until the end of Friday. I expect the mansion to be rid of everything, including that mutt, and you out of Japan."

"And what am I supposed to tell my friends?"

"The truth, for all I care. It's not like they were really your friends anyway. It's all a business arrangement, connections for the future. Do you really think that any of those people in that ridiculous 'host club' is there for your friendship? They are the sons of major corporations, heirs. Playing frivolous games with you was only to get on your good side and secure future dealings with the Suoh name. Do you really believe that they would befriend someone like you, an illegitimate son and a half-breed no doubt, to be _friends_?" Shizue walked closer to him, somehow demeaning him even more with by being able to put her nose higher and yet still look down at him. "Know this, _Rene_ : only your last name has any bearing on your life here in Japan."

Tamaki looked down, never shamed so harshly for his mother's blood inside of him.

"Now, you're a charismatic boy, I'm sure you can find something colorful to say about the situation that doesn't disgrace the Suoh name and saves face with yourself." Tamaki nodded. "Now, get out of my sight."

Tamaki bowed and left the room, opening the door. As he left, he saw a woman and young man about his age coming up another hallway and being greeted by the butler. Tamaki blinked in surprise, not even thinking that the 'real' heir might be a student at Ouran. Feeling ashamed, he turned his head and left the house.

* * *

The next day, Tamaki came rode up to the school with a heavy heart. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to his friends. He knew his grandmother was wrong about the friendships he had made with all the people here at Ouran, but he had always had a hidden anxiety about his heritage and what his friends _really_ thought of it. Were they secretly wishing they weren't friends with him? Even Tamaki knew that his father's last name was what made him acceptable to others… or rather, the _money_ behind the name.

"Tamaki-sama?" his limo driver said in the front seat. "We're holding up the line."

Tamaki shook his head. "Sorry, Yanto. Have a good day."

"You too, sir."

Tamaki got out and went into the school. Usually he would have sought out his friends immediately, but he was trying to figure out a good way to tell them he was going to be leaving and most likely never returning. As he walked into the school he thought he heard someone saying his name. He stopped for a second and turned, finding someone running up to him. He stopped short of him to catch his breath and then looked up at Tamaki.

"Tamaki Suoh, correct?"

"Yes."

"I'm Shigarachi Hainata … or well… apparently Suoh."

Tamaki's eyes widened and little bit and gave a bow.

"Oh, of course, of course. I believe I saw you yesterday while I was leaving."

"Crazy about this heirdom thing, huh?" Shigarachi said.

"Yeah, crazy…"

The two stood in silence for a moment as they tried to figure out something to say to each other.

"Um, I'm really sorry about all of this." Shigarachi said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I really don't want to deal with it either. I'm new to Ouran, though, so-"

"Wait, you're new?" Tamaki asked in confusion.

"Yeah… My mom married a man of lower standards, so they kicked her out. I've been going to the main stream high school until now. As soon as my mother found out what happened, she was contacted by Suoh-sama and I was immediately plucked out of that school and thrown… here…"

Tamaki smiled sadly at him. "Yes, Grandmother has a way of making you abandon everything about your old life to fulfill the role she needs you to fulfill. Is this your first day here?"

"Yeah." He said with a nervous laugh. He then got serious and looked at Tamaki. "I don't know anything about how these people work. My dad's a local shop owner. He gets really good business, so we've never been without, and my mom still gets a tiny allowance from my grandfather, but I've never been around anything this extravagant."

Tamaki smiled. "I don't mind giving you a tour of the place. It's my last day here anyway and going over a few things wouldn't be too bad for me. I'll even let you come to the Host Club."

Shigarachi started. "Host Club?"

Tamaki grinned. "I made a Host Club here with my friends where we service the needs of high class women who are bored and need something to do. It's fun."

Shigarachi smiled. "Oh, _that_ host club. I've heard about it before but I never thought I'd see it in action. This is great! Uh… how… how are you going to introduce me? Apparently we're half-brothers."

"Just as that. Believe me, most of them will think it's a joke anyway." He said with a small chuckle.

"You can just call me Shiga-kun if you like. Most people do."

* * *

As expected, when Tamaki told everyone that Shiga was his half-brother later that day, everyone thought it was funny. Hikaru laughed and put his elbow on Tamaki's shoulder.

"You're always good for a laugh, boss. You're new here, aren't you?"

"Yes, I just started." Shiga said with a bow. "Nice to meet you."

He smiled and went over to his brother as Shiga leaned into Tamaki.

"I had heard about this club but I never thought it would be so… wow…"

"It's fascinating, isn't it? It takes your breath away…"

"Senpai, don't give him weird ideas."

Haruhi walked up with a tray of drinks and smiled at Shiga.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Shigarachi Hai..." he faltered. "Um… I guess it's Suoh now."

Haruhi turned her head at that for a moment but was interrupted by the rest of the club. They grabbed Shiga and took him away as Haruhi watched Tamaki. He gave her a smile.

"Are you basking in my beauty?"

"I'm wondering why you seem off today."

"Off? Whatever do you mean?"

Haruhi made a face but went along with the festivities.

* * *

Once school was over, Shiga walked with Tamaki to his limo and he ran his fingers through is black hair.

"I… guess this is goodbye?"

"We're going to the same mansion, I believe."

"So the limo is for both of us?"

"I'm pretty sure; no reason to waste two limos."

Shiga nodded and they both got in. They were in silence for a while as Tamaki took in Japan for what may be the last time. A few minutes later, Tamaki heard the partition go up and Shiga turned to him in the seat.

"Look, I never wanted this for either of us. I never wanted to try and take you away from your family or whatever. I mean… I'm in the same boat."

"I know. I don't blame you. I know that she just pulled you out of your own world and put you into hers without even asking if it was okay. But… you'll adapt… May I ask why you had to have a kidney transplant?"

"I have a urinary issue… Right now I wish I'd have just waited... If we hadn't rushed into anything and waited on someone to have the right donor qualifications…"

"There was no way you could have known this would happen."

"How did she find out? My mom said that your dad wouldn't tell her."

Tamaki sighed. "Grandmother has spies out and about that casually look over our actions, blending into the background on a degree that even I can't fathom. I'm sure one of them noticed a change in my dad's usual daily structure and tailed him."

Shiga sighed, leaning back in the seat.

"This is bogus."

"Seeing as how you're here, did you actually find a kidney?"

"As soon as I found out that your dad was my dad a donor kidney was immediately found."

"Well, if nothing else, the Suoh family will take care of you and if there are any complications you'll be given top priority as well."

"Yeah, I guess that's a plus… Will you be okay?"

"My mother lives in France so I'll just go back to living with her."

"But are you okay with that? I mean, like you said, she plucked you out of your home to bring you into her world and then just as easily, she kicked you out. Don't you want to fight?"

"Fighting only makes things worse. I've been fighting all my life since I'm a _hafu_. In France it wasn't that much of a problem but here it… causes issues. Grandmother _was_ right about one thing and it's that if not for the Suoh name, I wouldn't have been treated as kindly as I was. The only reason she needed me was because I was supposedly the only heir around."

Shiga crossed his arms. "You're a lot more insightful than I was expecting. From what your friends said about you, I thought you'd be a little more wacky."

Tamaki laughed a little. "I'm serious when I need to be."

"I think it kind of suits you." Tamaki looked at him as he smiled. "You're charming when you're not acting like a bozo."

"I do what I can to keep myself in check."

Shiga looked at Tamaki quickly but Tamaki was looking out the window and he could tell he didn't want to talk anymore about it. Shiga sighed and looked out of the opposite window, piling more onto his guilt for doing this to a guy like Tamaki.

* * *

 **it'll be explained a little better later but to clear it up now: during the last part of his marriage with the other woman, they had sex. when he divorced her, she immediately married another shiga's father. when i say immediately i mean like within a week's time. again, this will be more explained later.**


	2. Midnight in France

**due to the nature of this story i actually had to do extensive research on some things because of what happens later. anyhow, the name of the hotel is a real hotel in Normandy, France. I deduced that most likely tamaki's french home was in a more countryside setting due to his mother's health. paris would be too busy i would think. the price is real but the upcharge isn't and this hotel actually accepts animals there. it's really nice there too.**

 **anyway, if anyone has a more concrete answer to where in france tamaki lived then please let me know. as for now, the grantaine mansion will be located in normandy.**

* * *

Tamaki got off the plane at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in France and stretched out his legs. He was happy to be back in France, his home country, but the circumstances surrounding it was pretty bleak. He had grabbed up Antoinette and his suitcase from the bag retrieval and yawned. The eight hour difference was horrific but he knew when he got into the limo that he could sleep on the way to the mansion as well as get straight to be when he got home. _Home…_ he thought, feeling slightly giddy about the fact that he would get to see his mother again and be back where he belonged. Well, more where he belonged. He was missing his friends already and really hated to leave them without a proper explanation or goodbye but telling them he had been kicked out of the Suoh family was a little extreme, even for him. The only person to see him go was Shiga, who put in his cell phone number for Tamaki to call.

* * *

 _"I know I'm not supposed to be in contact with you or anything, but I don't care what that old hag says. It was nice to meet you and I hope all fares well. If you ever need me for anything, or even just to talk, call me."_

* * *

Tamaki looked at his phone and sighed. His grandmother had taken him off of her plan and put him on a phone card. She said that when he got to France his mother could add him to her plan, so the minutes were enough to get him from Japan to France to home. Antoinette looked up at Tamaki, tail wagging and tongue hanging out. Although she wasn't from France, her mother was, and she was just happy to be wherever her owner wanted to be. Tamaki smiled at her and wrapped another loop of her leash on his hand.

"Come on, Antoinette, let's go home."

He walked out towards the entrance and looked at the signs the line of drivers were holding. He was looking for either his Japanese name or his French name. After searching down the line for a while he made a face and finally went up to a driver.

"Excuse me, monsieur," Tamaki said in perfect French. "Where is the driver for Grantaine?"

"Grantaine?" the man said, turning his head a little. "I haven't seen anyone with a sign for that surname."

"What about Suoh?"

"Not for that either. Let me ask the others." The man turned to the line and yelled out if anyone had seen someone for Grantaine or Suoh and they all responded with a 'no'. "I'm sorry, monsieur, but it looks like there is not anyone here for those names. Were you expecting someone? Perhaps you can call?"

"I guess that's what I'll have to do… _Merci_."

He walked to a seat and sat down on it, pondering what to do. His grandmother said that she would contact the Grantaine house and let them know he was coming… he looked at his phone for a moment and sighed, going through his contacts and dialing home. He waited for someone to pick up when it said the phone was disconnected. He made a face and called again. After several more times, he decided that something was terribly wrong and he needed to make sure everything was alright at the manor. He walked outside with Antoinette and hailed a taxi. He told him where he wanted to go and they sped off in the direction of the Grantaine Mansion.

* * *

When Tamaki got to the mansion he gaped at the condition of it. It was slightly overgrown and there was no bustle of people inside. The taxi hadn't sped off yet so he went back to it.

"Monsieur, tell me, why is this mansion looking like this?"

"That mansion has been without residence for a few years now. Most people come to look at the beauty of it…"

"Do you know where they went?"

"I'm afraid not. The last I heard was that the family was leaving but there was not an explanation as to why or where. Will you be needing me to wait on you, monsieur?"

"No… no… I need to think for a second. Thank you."

"If you need another taxi I'm afraid you'll have to call for one or walk to town first."

"I understand."

The taxi sped off and Tamaki looked at the house. He made a face and took Antoinette around the side where he knew there was a loose bar in the iron gate. He found the bar and wiggled it loose, the bottom half of it popping off. He pushed it to the side and after struggling for a moment, got through and into the courtyard. The grass was higher than he had ever seen it and the fountain was not running, the leftover water full of algae and dirt. The bushes that lined the path and were along the house were overgrown and the pesky vines the gardener hated to keep at bay had seemed to be unleashed and were already starting their tirade on the bottom half of the front column of the house. Tamaki could hardly believe what he was seeing. The house was truly abandoned.

Antoinette barked pulled at the leash to run around the yard. Tamaki unleashed her and let her have a bit of fun since she had been cooped up in a crate for twelve hours. As she played around the yard and discovered new smells, Tamaki tried the house one more time but to no avail. He went to the front steps and sat on them, putting his chin in his hands.

"What am I going to do?" he said to no one in particular.

He looked at his phone and texted the phone card to see how many minutes he had left over. He was going to have an international call… He only had ten minutes left. He sighed and looked at the time. He did the calculation in his head and dialed the number.

" _Moshi moshi_ , Suoh speaking?"

"Dad! It's me!"

"Tamaki?" Yuzuru said sleepily. "Why are you calling so early in the morning?"

"Isn't it about nine your time?"

Yuzuru yawned. "Yes, but it's the weekend. What's going on?"

"Grandmother sent me back to France."

"What do you mean?"

"Dad! Wake up! This is a serious matter and I only have ten minutes!" He looked at the call timer. " _Less_ now!"

"Alright, calm down. Now, explain what's happening?"

"Did you know about Shiga?"

"Shiga?"

"Your _other_ son! Shigarachi Hainata!"

There was silence and then Tamaki heard his father curse, the one thing Yuzuru hardly ever did.

"How do _you_ know about him and did you say you were in France?"

"How… come you're acting like you don't know what happened?" Tamaki asked with skepticism.

"Because it looks like your grandmother did something without my consent. Tamaki, are you in France?"

"Yes. I was supposed to go back to mother's but there's no one here. Dad, where are they?"

"Your mother moved away as soon as you came here. She needed better treatment."

"Then where is she?"

"I don't know, son. I just know she moved."

"Well then what am I supposed to do?!"

"Calm down now, don't panic. I'll see what I can do. You'll have to come back to Japan I'm afraid."

Tamaki usually wasn't a grouchy person but jet lag, lack of information, and apparently being duped beyond comprehension was getting the better of him.

"Dad, I just got off of a twelve hour flight and have jet lag like you wouldn't believe. I can't go anywhere at the moment."

"That's alright, Tamaki. Just go to a hotel nearby and stay the night. Get some sleep, refresh your body. Text me the hotel you're staying at and the number so that I can call you later on the phone. What's the time difference again?"

"I'm eight hours behind you."

"Okay. I'll make a note to call you at a decent time. Don't worry, Tamaki, I'll figure something out."

He hung up and Tamaki growled at the wind, putting his face in his hands. Everything was continuing to fall apart.

* * *

"Bonjour, welcome to the Ferme Saint Simeon; do you have a reservation?" the concierge asked as Tamaki rolled his stuff in with Antoinette.

"No, but I don't mind paying extra for the last minute reservation…" he said, practically slumping on the counter. "What do you have available?"

"You are aware there is an extra charge for your dog?"

"Yes, I am."

The concierge looked through the computer and made a face.

"I'm sorry, monsieur, but the only thing that we have available at this time is a junior suite."

"A junior suite? That's fine." He said, pulling out his wallet. "How much?"

"How long will you be staying with us?"

"Just a night. I'm going back to Japan later today. This was an unexpected pit stop."

"Of course." The concierge typed in the computer. "It will be 850€ for the room and another 50€ for your pet. The total will be 1000€ with tax."

"Alright then." He said, sliding his credit card over.

The concierge swiped it on the computer and then frowned, swiping it again.

"I'm sorry, monsieur, but it looks like your card is declining."

"Oh, right! Um… do you take cash?"

The concierge lifted an eyebrow. "You have 1000€ in cash?"

"Yes…"

Tamaki put the credit card back in his wallet and pulled out two 500€ notes. The concierge took the notes and checked to make sure they were real and blinked a little.

"You must be a very rich man back in Japan." They said, putting the cash in the register.

 _I'm supposed to be a rich man in France too._ he said in his head as the concierge gave him a key.

"Here you are and I forgot to ask what the reservation should be under."

"Tama- Rene… Rene Grantaine."

"Rene Grantaine?"

"Yes… and could you give me the number to the hotel? I'm expecting a phone call."

"All of the information is in the flier. Enjoy your stay, Monsieur Grantaine."

He nodded and took Antoinette up to the suite. He immediately took a shower, put on his pajamas, and fell asleep.

* * *

 **i'm pretty sure they don't take cash but i took liberties in some places. and we will find out why his dad had no idea about him going back to france. remember too, tamaki's real name is rene tamaki richard de grantaine-suoh. in france his family called him rene and in japan they called him tamaki.**

 **just to be clear, things are not going to go well for our princely host. i'm taking it step by step because seeing someone like him, so prominent and rich, be stripped of everything is a process. there are a lot of things he doesn't understand about the world and he's about to find out full force what it means to be limited, or as he and the hosts would put it, a commoner. plus, his heritage plays a part and other things.**


	3. Murphy, You've Done It Again

**someone had asked to have more of the host club in it but this is a story about how tamaki deals with his losses and finding himself. there may not be a lot of group host club stuff. they will all be in here but it's not going to be like the usual. this is an AU after all**

* * *

The phone rang in the hotel room and Tamaki picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Tamaki? It's your father."

Tamaki sat up and looked at the time, seeing it was 10:00.

"Why are you calling me so early?" he grumbled.

"Listen, there are a lot of things going on that you need to listen carefully for you to get back over here, okay?"

"O… kay? Dad, what's going on?"

"Your grandmother cut you off from everything having to do with the Suoh family. Credit cards, bank accounts; if it was in your name then it's no use. She duped you, son. She knew that your mother left France and wanted to abandon you. I had a talk with her and she's even frozen my accounts for anything having to do with you. Once she found out about Shiga she really put you through the ringer…"

"That doesn't help, Dad. What am _I_ supposed to do? I have no house and once I get back to Japan, most likely no money."

"You're in luck. I had set some money into an account your grandmother doesn't even know about. Only problem is that it will give you rent for about two months and then-"

"Save it, Dad…" Tamaki wiped his hand on his face. "There's no point in getting me an apartment I can only live in for two months… I have to be able to pay for it after that."

"I know it will be hard but… you'll have to get a job."

"WHO THE HELL WILL HIRE ME?!" Tamaki screamed, the panic he had kept at bay the night before rising. "Seriously?! I'm a _hafu_! No one wants to hire a _hafu_!"

"I know you're scared and angry and confused but that's the only option that we have. She has a lock and eyes on everything that I have access to. If I try to help you with something, she will block it. Is there a friend you could stay with?"

"No! All of my friends are rich and powerful heirs to high families in Japan. I am stuck in France with no money, a _hafu_ , and not even a Suoh anymore."

"Surely not all of your friends were only friends because of your name."

"I'm not going to embarrass myself and _beg_." Tamaki growled.

"This is different now, Rene!" Yuzuru yelled back at his son. "I have no way of helping you and you will have to face the facts that you will soon be a commoner: poor, without money, _broke_. You have to figure out how to survive _somehow_. That bitch won't even let me help you get back to Japan… which is why I called early. You'll have to use your own money and check out is at 12 noon. If you don't want to pay an extra night, you'll have to leave before twelve."

Tamaki just wanted to cry. In fact, he did.

"Dad, what am I going to do?" he sobbed.

"I'm going to try and do what I can but my hands are tied on a lot of things. You'll make it, Tamaki, I know you will. You just have to put aside some of your pride for just a moment and think for yourself now. You've been catered to since you were born but you have adaptability in your personality. You'll adapt; as you did when she plucked you from France and brought you to Japan and you'll adapt now that's she's plucked you from riches to rags. You'll survive."

Tamaki knew he would find a way but he was scared. He had never been without and now he was completely without all in the course of two days. The only thing he had at the moment was his dog, the money in his pocket, and the clothes in his suitcase. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Checkout is at noon and have you seen when the soonest flight to Japan is?"

"I think it's at two. They may have something different at the airport. I'm not sure what will happen now, son."

"Is there one favor you can do for me?"

"Of course."

"My phone. I don't have very many minutes on it. Is there a way you could… maybe get me some?"

Tamaki could almost feel the sorrow over the phone.

"All accounts are blocked with your name. Once your minutes go out, you won't have a phone."

"It was a long shot."

"Let me give you my number-"

"I already have it."

"If your phone dies you won't. Besides, this is to my personal cell phone, not through anyone else. Not even your grandmother has this number."

Tamaki grabbed the pen and paper on the nightstand and wrote the number down.

"I suggest you write down all the other numbers in your phone that you want to keep when the phone dies or you run out of minutes. You'll need it to call someone."

"Puh, no one in that phone would give a rat's ass about me now."

"You're being unusually dower."

"I'm pissed off and scared. Trying to put up appearances never did me any good."

"But it kept you from getting sour. Try to find some sort of silver lining in this ordeal. You'll make it, Rene. I have to go. If you can give me a call to at least let me know you're in Japan, that would be nice. I love you and I'll be trying to fight for you."

Tamaki hung up the phone, not feeling any better. Antoinette looked up at him from the rug on the floor and cocked her head to the side. Seeing her owner looking distressed, she got up and trotted over to him, setting her head on his knee. He pet her head and she looked up at him with caring brown eyes.

"Antoinette, what are we going to do?"

 _Ruff_. she said.

Tamaki put his forehead on hers and sniffled. After a moment he sat up and breathed in deep.

"I will adapt."

* * *

Tamaki entered Japan and looked at the list of numbers in his hand. His father was right and his phone had died. He had all the numbers that he needed on the piece of paper and he looked through them all. Not a one would ever care to help him, or could really ever help him. His friends would never take him in, especially after being struck from the Suoh name, and the only other person was Haruhi, but he knew she was aloof with him and being crammed in her apartment didn't seem like the best life.

He went and got Antoinette and then waited for his luggage to come around the carousel. He waited and waited but nothing came. He finally went to the luggage overseer and asked him where it was.

"If your flight landed thirty minutes ago and you haven't seen it then it most likely has gotten lost."

Tamaki's smile twitched. "L-Lost?"

"Yes. When it comes up we can send it to the address that you will be staying at. Do you have that?"

He sighed. "Forget it."

He was lucky he had his carry-on with him and it had some clothes in there he could swap out. And he still had a pretty good amount of money since the exchange was high on the Japan side so he thought about buying a few things. He spotted a telephone and used some of his money to let his father know he was in Japan. It went to voicemail and he left a message. He went outside and hailed a taxi that was heading to Saitama. He couldn't tell the driver to go to any of his friend's homes or his home, so he picked Haruhi's house as a good drop off. It was the only commoner place he knew besides the market. He paid the man for the taxi fair and then looked at his wallet. His eyes bulged at the money he now had left over.

"I only have 2477¥?! What the heck?! Where'd all my money go?!"

He thought about it for a moment and looked down the road where the taxi was driving off.

"The taxi ride… took…" He pursed his lips in anger at his stupidity and closed his wallet. "Fine. I'll find a place to go."

* * *

He had gone to every capsule hotel he could find in the district but they were all over the amount he had. They would take almost all of his money and he didn't have that much of it left. Plus, he would have to board Antoinette and the boarding cost more than the stay at the capsule hotel. So, he and Antoinette found a nice park to stay in and Tamaki found some bushes that looked pretty private. Antoinette laid down and Tamaki sat down in front of her, laying back on her for a pillow. He unzipped his carry-on and found a jacket that was pretty big. He curled up in it and snuggled into Antoinette. He looked up at the stars and sighed. _Is this my life now?_

* * *

Shiga listened to the argument outside of his room for the third time that day. Tamaki's father was livid about what his grandmother had done to him and that he was not even able to help. Shiga felt terrible about the whole thing and wished he'd never had to go to the hospital. I wished he was healthy and fine and didn't need a transplant… He missed his family, the shop, his friends… The only person who seemed to understand him was that Haruhi girl. She was from a commoner class, as the rich kids said it, but it was closer to what Shiga remembered and h enjoyed her company. He had a feeling some of the other host club members were getting jealous of him because he and Haruhi had a lot in common, but he only liked her because she got him. Then again, she seemed to understand everyone in the host club.

He pulled out his phone and dialed her number. He knew it was late but he really needed to talk to someone. He couldn't tell her what was going on with Tamaki but he wanted to stop listening to the evil deeds his grandmother had done towards him.

"Hello?" Haruhi answered half asleep.

"It's me, Shiga."

"Oh, Shiga-san… Why are you calling so late?"

"I just needed to talk… Haruhi, have you ever been the cause of someone else's grief?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Why? Did you do something?"

"Kind of but it wasn't something I could help. It was something that was found out and now I'm stuck with it, but it really caused a problem with someone else."

"I see. Do you feel guilty for it?"

"Yeah… it's causing this person a lot of issues that aren't fair."

"But it's nothing you could have helped, right?"

"No."

"Then you can't blame yourself. If there was nothing you could do then it's out of your control. The fact that someone else was involved only makes you believe it was solely your fault. It's called a coincidence for a reason."

"I guess you're right… Is it wrong that I don't want this life? That I want to go back home to my own family?"

"No. They took you from the only life you knew so that they could make you into the life they know. Wanting to go back home is nothing to be ashamed about or wrong. You miss them, that's all."

"If I ran away do you think they could force me back?"

"I don't think it would be a good idea to do that, Shiga-san."

"Yeah… I'm sorry to have bothered you so late. I'll talk to you later."

"See you tomorrow."

He hung up but got up and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. He wasn't in the mood for sleeping… As he made his way to the kitchen, he turned the light on and was surprised to find Yuzuru at the bar digging into a carton of ice cream. Since the light came on, he turned and smiled at Shiga.

"You like chocolate banana swirl?" He nodded. "Grab a spoon and drown in this with me."

Shiga nodded and grabbed a spoon. Yuzuru slid the carton to him as he took a few spoonfuls and slid it back.

"I'm sorry, Shigarachi."

"For what?"

"Somehow dragging you into this. I never wanted to do that to you or your mother. I divorced your mother because I didn't love her like a wife, not because I didn't like her as a person. I knew I couldn't love her the way she needed to be and so when I found the woman of my dreams… I didn't know I had even given her a child when I divorced her."

"We don't blame you. My mom didn't know either. She was happy you divorced her because she got to marry my dad. She said it was pretty quick, almost immediate. The time period of conception was in a super small window so it was no wonder she thought I was my dad's."

"How did your father take the news?"

Shiga looked at the carton of ice cream and swirled his spoon in it.

"Not well. He was really mad about it. He didn't even look at me when I left for here."

"Did you have a good relationship with him?"

"He was my role model. I was going to take over the store when I got older but… I guess now I could just buy the store and make people work in it and set them up for the good life…" He said with a bit of enthusiasm, which died quickly. "But Dad would hate me even more for it. He would say that I took his livelihood away too…"

"Have you talked to them?"

"I can't. She won't let me."

"She has a way of making things impossible for the people's lives she's ruined."

"What are you going to do about Tamaki?"

Yuzuru sighed, taking out a chunk of ice cream.

"Tamaki didn't want the help I was going to give him to at least have a roof over his head… then again, I guess it _does_ seem more like a charity work than trying to help out… His phone must have died because I received a message from him stating that he was in Japan but it came from an outside line. There's no telling where he is."

"Are you going to try and find him?"

"Can't… He's on his own out there…"

"I wish I could tell someone else…"

"You could try but maybe my son was right. Maybe most of his friends were his friends because of our name. If that's the case, then no one will care."

Shiga nodded pushed the carton away, licking his spoon.

"Do you think he'll do something drastic?"

"With Tamaki it's very hard to tell."

"Thanks for the ice cream." Shiga said. "I'm going to go back to bed."

Yuzuru nodded and they went their separate ways.

* * *

The next morning, Tamaki woke up with a sore throat, sore bones, and a sore neck. Antoinette must have walked off during the night and was laying over his legs instead of under his head. He massaged his neck as he stood up a little and stretched. He got out his toothbrush and toothpaste and went to the water fountain to brush his teeth. After getting slightly cleaned up, he led Antoinette to the garbage can where he saw someone throw in a newspaper. Holding his nose, he reached in and grabbed the paper and opened it up to the job section. He wasn't very good at anything but right now, he had to try everything.

* * *

 **so this is what happened: tamaki came back to japan with about 16488Y left which is about $145. the taxi ride cost him 14011Y ($123~). so now he's only left with 2477Y ($27). a capsule hotel costs around 2000Y ($17). this boy is broke with $27 to his name because he did the worst thing he could possibly do and that is to take the taxi. they say you should never take the taxi in japan because it's expensive as shit. but of course, no one would be able to tell that to tamaki since they drive in limos. so here he is... homeless and broke.**


	4. I Would Do Anything, But I Won't Do That

**i am sad that i have to remind everyone that this is not exactly in the same universe as the regular story. i did put au in the description. i guess this is more of a realistic take on this situation. of course in manga-land things would be waaaay diff but what is fan fiction for if not to alter reality?**

 **that being said, i hope you enjoy and i think you'll like where this is going more than you think *wink***

* * *

Tamaki sat on the other side of the desk as the man looked at him from over a pair of glasses that looked like they belonged in the 80s. Tamaki just waited as patiently as he could. _Please just hire me, please just hire me…_ he chanted in his head. This was the fourth interview he had had this past week and so far he was batting zero for the month.

"Your resume…" the man started.

"Yes?"

"How old are you again?"

"I'm sixteen."

"Sixteen… and you were a 'host club manager'?"

"Yes; in my school we had room for a club and I was the manager of the club. It was slightly based off of real host clubs. Nothing strange happened, mind you."

"Uh huh… So you have no working experience whatsoever?"

"I… believe I put down that I helped at a hotel."

The man looked over the resume again and adjusted his glasses.

"I hate to break it to you, kid, but you're not qualified enough to work in a place like this. We need experienced servers. We cater to a lot of high class people. Besides, no offense, but we get a lot of large contenders in here and being served by a _hafu_ is going to cause some issues."

Tamaki tried to keep his annoyance at bay.

"So… basically, it's because I'm not full Japanese?"

"Not at all. I don't care if you were purple with one eye; it's the customer that counts. We run a high class restaurant with high paying customers and if they aren't happy then we don't get paid. You just don't have enough experience for the job."

"Right… I see…"

"You may want to try something a little less fancy like a fast food restaurant or a lower class ramen stand. I know it may not seem luxurious but it will at least give you experience. Come back to me in about a year or so and I'll see what we can do."

"Right… Thank you."

Tamaki got up and walked out of the restaurant.

* * *

Antoinette greeted him at the pole he had left her tied up to and she wagged her tail in anticipation of his return. He pet her head and untied her leash from the pole.

"Looks like another bust, Antoinette…" He sighed. "What am I doing wrong, girl? I have plenty of experience in the host club and I grew up in high society so I understand what they are wanting and expecting… Am I missing something?"

Antoinette licked his face and he smiled a little, petting her head again.

"Maybe I should do what this guy told me and go for something a little less elaborate… Come on, girl; I have enough for a bowl of ramen from somewhere. If push comes to shove, I'll just have to go back to the temporary agency…"

He led Antoinette away towards the convenience store.

* * *

"Has anyone heard from Tamaki since he left?" Haruhi asked as she put a serving tray down at the host club.

"Not that I'm aware of." Kyoya said, looking over his tablet.

"Isn't that a little strange of him? I mean, he's known for being overly exerting and him just up and leaving doesn't really make any sense."

"Were you expecting a call from him?"

"No, I'm just expecting him to be him. Has no one heard from him at all?"

"I haven't really discussed it with the other host club members…"

Haruhi made a face and went back to doing some things for the host club. She spotted Shiga sitting in the corner of the club reading a manga and went to sit next to him.

"Hey, Shiga?"

"Hmm? Oh, Haruhi…"

"Have you heard anything about Tamaki and where he went? It's really unlike him to just up and leave without really telling anyone anything. I know you didn't know him that well but he's not known for just leaving quietly."

Shiga smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. Haruhi knew something was off.

"Shiga-san?"

"Don't worry about it."

She frowned. "You know something, don't you?"

Shiga made a face but sighed, putting the manga aside.

"There was an issue within the Suoh family and Tamaki was told he had to go back to France. I can't really tell you anything more."

"So he went back because he had to?"

"Yeah."

"I see… Is… he in any danger?"

"I don't think so… maybe a matter of pride, but other than that, I don't think he's in the type of danger you're thinking of."

"Oh… Do you really think I believe you that badly?"

Shiga smiled. "I guess not; you're too observant for your own good."

"In a school like this, it helps out a lot. People never really say what they mean, if you get what I mean."

"Yeah, I do. Us commoners have to have a sixth sense about everyone we speak to."

Haruhi laughed a little. "Exactly… so, from commoner to commoner, what secrets have the higher ups entrusted you with?"

"Unfortunately, what I told you was true. He's in France but I don't know when he'll be back. As for communication, I'm not sure why he hasn't done anything. Maybe his phone ran out of battery."

"He'd plug it up… well, then again, maybe he wouldn't. He _is_ scatterbrained at times."

"He seemed like a pretty entertaining individual."

"He was always doing something stupid… but he was good and kind. He would literally give the shirt off of his back to someone in need, commoner or not. He valued family and being yourself, not holding back because society wanted to see something specific. All of these people of the host club were inspired by Tamaki in some way to be here, let themselves be who they are."

"And you?"

Haruhi laughed a little. "I was forced to be in here. I broke a vase and ended up in an ultimatum of getting 100 customers to request me or paying for the vase. The latter was completely out of the picture and when I got here I kind of looked like a guy. They didn't realize I was a girl until a while after the thought was voiced. I just do me but the girls seem to like that so I'm getting requested at times."

"I see… You think I could be a host?"

"Hmm…" Haruhi looked at him. "I can see you being a host."

"I don't know. I don't think these girls would go for my homeliness."

"Uh, you'd be surprised what these girls go for." She said, looking at the twins getting uncomfortably close to one another. "You can always ask Kyoya and see what he can do. He's good at promoting."

"Yeah… if I feel like I need to."

Haruhi smiled and left to go finish her own duties as Shiga frowned after her. He hated lying to her but he didn't know what should or shouldn't be said regarding Tamaki's whereabouts. Plus the fact that he honestly didn't know where Tamaki was at the moment. He was in Japan but it's not like anyone was out looking for him.

* * *

Tamaki slurped down the last of the ramen soup and smacked. It was cheap ramen but he had to admit that this particular commoner's ramen was exceptionally good. It was better than those packs or the cups he had to get from the store. He paid the man and grabbed a paper that was in a bin, looking in the classifieds section. He scanned the ads until he found one that was pretty interesting.

"'Local manor looking for personal servant for young heir. Pay is ¥1500/hr; room and board available upon request. If requested, pay reduced to ¥1200, covering expenses. If interested, please come to this address.' It doesn't seem like a very elaborate job but the pay is halfway decent (for commoner's pay) and if I wanted to, I would have a place to stay for the time being… I wonder if they'll accept dogs… What do you think, Antoinette? Should we try it out?"

Antoinette ignored him as she lapped up some water from a bowl on the ground. Tamaki made a face at her and sighed. He didn't want to have to do _any_ of this, but he was running out of funds and the daily temp jobs weren't really giving him enough money to live off of.

"Besides, being in that sushi costume was hot. The only good thing about it was that it covered my face so I wouldn't have to face anyone, but for Y828 an hour working at eight hours for just one day, I'd rather just… serve someone else…" Tamaki put his face in his hands. "This is ridiculous… I know I can be adaptable to change but this is so _degrading_. Me, Tamaki Suoh, the heir- _former_ heir to the Suoh empire is debating on wearing a sushi costume or being a servant for someone I used to be in the same class as."

Tamaki looked at his suitcase behind him, dirty and looking nothing like the designer brand it was, his clothes frumpy and wrinkled, his Italian shoes losing luster and shine… He sighed and went back over to the ramen stand.

"Sir, do you know where this place is?"

* * *

Tamaki blanched at the large mansion in front of him and then at the address and then at the name plate on the front of the house. **OOTORI,** it said in nice fancy carved letters.

"You've got to be joking me… So… that means that Kyoya needs a personal servant? Why did he never tell me before?" he asked himself, getting a little off topic. He shook his head. "Never mind, this is ridiculous. I'm in dire straits but I'm not _that_ desperate… Come on, Antoinette…"

He turned to leave when Antoinette sniffed the air and barked, taking off. Her sudden lunge caught Tamaki off-guard and the leash slipped from his fingers.

"Antoinette!"

She stopped as a limo drove beside the curb, following it until it got to the front gate. The window was open and Antoinette jumped up to look inside. The door opened and she jumped the person coming out.

"Antoinette? What on earth are you doing here? I highly doubt Tamaki would allow you to roam the streets by yourself…" The person turned and Tamaki wished he could melt into the sidewalk. "Tamaki?"

"H-Hey, Kyoya! Wow, thanks for grabbing Antoinette for me! She just ran off, silly girl, hahaha!" he said, grabbing her leash.

Kyoya turned his head at him as he chastised Antoinette.

"I thought you had gone to France."

"I did and now I'm back." He said nervously.

Kyoya lifted an eyebrow, taking in Tamaki's appearance and noticing the suitcase in the distance.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked. Tamaki looked up. "Why didn't you call us when you got back to Japan?"

"Oh. My charger is down…"

"And you… didn't buy a new one? It's not like it would put you out if you did… right?"

Tamaki didn't say anything as he pet Antoinette's neck, trying to keep his composure. He wouldn't dare say he was poorer than a shithouse rat at the moment with barely enough money to get a bowl of halfway decent ramen and a token for the public bath. If he was lucky, he could even get a wash of his clothes thrown in there.

"Yeah… I've just been busy."

"Traveling?"

"Hmm?"

Kyoya pointed to his suitcase. "I assume you've been traveling since you have your suitcase with you."

"Oh… yeah… of course!" he said with a smile, standing up.

"Tamaki?"

"Yeah?"

"I already know."

Tamaki stopped smiling as Kyoya watched him patiently. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

"Oh… I see… well…"

"I was trying to give you some dignity and let you say it yourself but I seems you're trying to play it cool for some reason when you look like that."

"Ah… Can't fool you, can I, Mom? H-How'd you find out?"

"My father told me almost as soon as it happened. The day you came with Shiga, I then realized what he said was true. I'm… really sorry about what happened."

"Yeah…"

"Where are you staying?"

"Around."

Kyoya then saw the paper sticking out of Tamaki's back pocket and looked at his mansion.

"You came for the ad in the paper, didn't you?"

"What ad?"

"Stop it." Tamaki looked at him as his friend looked down at him with a frown. "You're pissing me off with that blasé dismissal attitude of yours. Although your whimsy is refreshing at most times, this is not one of them. You're broke as hell, living out of your suitcase and to be honest, you smell. When was the last time you took a bath?"

"I stink?"

"Yes."

 _Well that makes more sense about the interviews. Damn it!_ Tamaki thought and wanted to become a grain of sand so that he could be indistinguishable from everything else in life and hide away from this horrible encounter and life itself.

"Oh… I wasn't aware of that."

"How long have you been back in Japan?"

"Almost a month."

"And you didn't think to call any of us?"

"I don't have a phone, Kyoya. My minutes went out as soon as I landed back here. I had enough time to call my father… I didn't do what he asked and I didn't write down anyone's number to try and call from a pay phone. Besides, do you really think anyone would let me stay with them? As you so plainly put it, I'm broke as hell… You all may have been my friend and listened to me when I was on the same level as you guys but now I'm lower than low… I'm even lower than Haruhi!"

"Do you really think that all of us just liked you for your money and your name?"

"You kind of plainly told me that when we first met a long time ago."

Kyoya moved his glasses. "Yes; a long time ago. It's a little different now…" He sighed. "Come on, I'll let you take a bath and borrow some clothing."

"I don't want your charity, Kyoya. My father tried that-"

"I'm not giving you charity, dingbat, I'm giving you a job." Tamaki looked at him in surprise. "My father wants me to have a personal servant for some stupid reason and at least if it's you I know I won't have to worry about certain things."

"Your father will know exactly who I am. It's not that hard."

"And he'll also see that you're not mooching off of us. Even though you were raised high class, when you put your mind to something, you can do almost anything. If it's working towards a goal, you'll get it done. It's not glorious and you'll have to realize that I'll actually be the boss of you, but the money is good, you'll have a roof over your head, and food to eat. I may even convince my father to let you join me at school…"

"Uh, I don't think I need that. It's embarrassing enough as it is."

"Then rise." Kyoya pushed his glasses up and walked around Tamaki for a moment. "How did our families become the way they are? It's not like they got rich overnight. Our ancestors fought to get the prominence they now have. If you've taught me nothing else but to fight for what I wanted, then take your own advice and rise to this occasion." He stopped and looked Tamaki in the eyes. "Work your way to success. Work your way out from under me and earn a name for yourself. Show your grandmother than you don't need to have the Suoh name attached to you. Were you not a Grantaine before she plucked you from France and dropped you here?"

"Yes…"

"Then use this opportunity to show her that she can push you down but she can't _keep_ you down. Face her challenges and dig yourself out of this mess. You think you can do it?"

Tamaki wiped his pants of dirt. "It seems I don't have a choice right now…"

"You don't have to accept it but even you taught those of the host club to face challenges head on. Don't you think it would be easier going in and knowing than to hear snickering behind your back, whispers, rumors, lies? Didn't you get enough of that in your own family?"

Tamaki clenched his fists. _I never told him about that…_ He looked at Kyoya with a new fire in his eyes.

"Fine. Do as you will."

Kyoya smiled, adjusting his glasses again.

"I'll inform my parents immediately about the closed position. Come take a bath and rest. Tomorrow, you'll start work." He walked to the gate and stopped. "Oh, and you'll be addressing me as Ootori-sama from now on, understand?"

"Yes, sir, of course."

* * *

 **one: ¥828 is equivalent to about $7.50. It's minimum wage in japan. ¥1500 is about $13.50~. he'd work about eight hours but he'd be working seven days a week. He'd make a good amount of money.**

 **two: kyoya would have been the first to hear about tamaki's dismissal from his father. the others probably wouldn't have heard since their parents and stuff aren't around much. maybe honey?**

 **three: tamaki didn't know it was kyoyas address because he was just riding in limos and not paying attention. he didn't know the addresses, just whereabouts his friends houses were.**

 **four:** ** **kyoya seems a little brusque here but remember that kyoya's dad only made him become friends with him because of his name. kyoya, of course, a little better than that, but they will have to keep up appearances. i mean, showing his dad that he has the former heir and illegitimate son of the suoh family as a servant will be both pleasing and annoying to his father. plus, 'humiliating' him by getting him back to school after what's been done is just a challenge to rise against. kyoya loves tamaki as a brother but his father holds a lot of the strings. that's why he's telling him to rise up and take charge and not be ruled by his family forever, like him****

 **five: how will the rest of the host club take this new position their prince?**


End file.
